IN THEIR PROPER REPOSITORIES.
Certain propositions have been established by facts and arguments that
cannot be successfully controverted:
(_a_) The advent of Christ and its stupendous results.
(_b_) The formation of numerous churches which by the end of the first
century were in all parts of the Roman Empire, with presbyters or bishops
and elders in every church, and many thousands of communicants.
(_c_) They regarded him with the greatest reverence and affection,
obeying his commands as their Lord and Master, paying him divine honors,
and for his sake joyfully yielding up their lives.
(_d_) Of his disciples and followers, twelve, called Apostles, were
understood to have special authority from him in the Church.
(_e_) From the nature of the case we should look for the reception in
these numerous churches, of Memoirs of their Lord which they would
_deem_ authentic, and at so early a period, that they would be able to
_determine_ whether they were authentic or not.
(_f_) To such Memoirs, once accepted, they would be so strongly attached
that they could not be displaced and others substituted for them, in
hundreds of churches in all the Roman Empire, without such controversy as
would have left indubitable evidence of it.
(_g_) As far back as history goes, doctrines[1] were taught, facts
asserted, and quotations made, corresponding with the Canonical Gospels,
and such use was continued until a time when there is a positive
identification of them by name. Within this period there was one writer
making numerous quotations and references, who declared that the writings
from which he quoted, and to which he referred, were “Memoirs” of Christ
“drawn up” by Apostles or companions of Apostles.
(_h_) There is no proof of the existence of writings _other_ than
those Gospels answering to his description, or corresponding with the
quotations; and finally within forty years of his first reference to
these “Memoirs” they are clearly seen to be the Canonical Gospels.
(_i_) From first to last there is no evidence whatever of displacement of
Gospels previously accepted, and the substitution of others for them in
the churches generally.
(_j_) The Fourth Gospel is of such a character, and was in use so soon
after the death of its author (and who is also stated as its author in
the Gospels itself), as to make the idea of attempted and successful
_forgery_ in the highest degree improbable.
(_k_) And these Gospels within less than eighty years from the death of
the Apostles other than John, and within forty years of _his_ death, were
read with the Prophets in the churches, in city and country, every Lord’s
day, _and accepted as Apostolic_.
(_l_) From the earliest period they were where they should be if
authentic, and where they could not have been, unless _accepted_ as
authentic.
Some illustrations have already been given in chapter eleven of the brief
interval between the Apostles and Justin Martyr. Let any intelligent
reader of sixty, from his own recollection, or any young person, from
the recollections of others with whom he is acquainted, determine for
himself. The writer was admitted to the Bar almost forty years ago; he
has within a few months seen an original deed[2] of land in Londonderry
(the home of his ancestors) executed one hundred and fifty years ago;
he has in his possession certified copies of certificates of marriages
and births, in his own genealogical record—going back from one to two
hundred years, in one instance two hundred and thirty years, and these
certificates would be received as _evidence_ in any Court. They would
be received, because made by the proper custodian of public documents,
found in the proper repository for them. The presumption of law in such
case is the judgment of charity. It presumes that documents found in
their proper repository, and not bearing marks of forgery, are genuine.
A deed forty years old, followed by a possession agreeing with it, is
admitted in evidence without other proof of its execution. Our Gospels
in Justin’s time were where they _should_ have been, if authentic. The
Church was the proper repository for authentic Memoirs of its Founder.
_Our Gospels were there._ They were in their proper repository. And upon
every principle that rules in the administration of justice, or in the
common affairs of life, it must be presumed that they were _rightfully_
there. Their rejection is _not_ “the judgment of charity.” It reverses
the maxim that fraud is not to be presumed. It charges forgery, of
which there is no evidence, upon persons whom it finds it impossible
to discover and identify. It imputes ignorance and indifference to
multitudes who had every opportunity for knowing the truth, and who were
willing to suffer all things for their convictions of the truth. It
presses, as of vital consequence, trivial objections and alleged errors
in chronology, geography and history, which (if made out) would not for
a moment be thought sufficient to successfully impugn the authenticity
of any secular work as well supported by external evidence. It is
unnecessary to further consider such objections.[3] It is no exaggeration
to say, that the various theories and speculations of those who deny
the genuineness of the Gospels are, in the main, but ingenious attempts
at the solution of the problem: “Given, the impossibility of miracles,
what may be supposed to be the true history of Jesus Christ?” The
only consistent answer that could be made, would be that upon such an
hypothesis, it is impossible to determine what was his life or character.
But, given, the possibility of miracles (and if there is a God they
must be possible), there is no reasonable doubt of the authenticity of
the Gospels, and the book of Acts. They come to us from their proper
repositories, and must be presumed to be rightfully there. They are
proved to have been in those repositories within but a short period from
the death of the Apostles. They were accepted as Apostolic, and as having
been drawn up by Apostles or companions of Apostles. If such undoubted
reception, and use, and tradition, at so early a period, and thence
until now, cannot be _trusted_, no credit can be given to _any_ writings
or history from ancient times. They _can_ be trusted. The stream which
eighteen hundred years ago was issuing from Apostolic times and the hills
of Palestine, has flowed onward, enriching and blessing the nations.
[1] Mr. Waite assumes that Clement did not hold to a literal
resurrection. Clement’s language admits of no such construction, although
in writing to Christians who understood all about it, he was not as
definite upon this point, as Justin in _his_ address to a different
class. Clement refers to the resurrection in c. 24: “Let us consider,
beloved, how the Lord continually proves to us that there shall be a
future resurrection, of which he has rendered the Lord Jesus Christ the
first fruits by raising him from the dead.” And again in c. 42, after
saying that the Apostles were commissioned, he adds: “Having therefore,
received their order, and being fully assured by the resurrection of
our Lord Jesus Christ, and established in the Word of God, with full
assurance of the Holy Ghost, they went forth proclaiming that the kingdom
of God was at hand.” The force of this language is not controlled by any
means, by reference to the day’s following the night, and the springing
up of the fruits of the earth, from the sowing of the seed.
[2] The deed dated June 16, 1731, was by David Morrison, one of the
grantees in the Charter of Londonderry of 1722, to his brother-in-law,
David McAlister. This deed with another from the same grantor to William
McAlister dated February 24, 1746, are now in the possession of Jonathan
McAlister, Esq., a descendant of David and an owner of the original
granted land.
[3] One other correction should be made. Judge Waite arbitrarily assigns
Cerinthus to the year 145. He gives no reason or authority for it. It is
the testimony of all antiquity that Cerinthus was contemporary with the
Apostle John, and that John died about the year 100. Irenæus, upon the
authority of Polycarp, says that John, being about to enter a bath and
finding Cerinthus within, drew back saying: “Let us even be gone lest the
bath should fall to pieces,—Cerinthus, that enemy of the truth, being
within.” See Vol. II., Encyclopedia of McClintock and Strong, p. 190.